This familiar quip may be nearly as old as the famous concert venue itself:

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” [Pause] “Practice, practice, practice.”

That’s the mantra of Ballard High School’s Wind Ensemble as they prepare for the

11th Annual New York International Music Festival at Carnegie

Hall in April 2017.

But these 70 talented musicians could also use something else as well: money.

You can help them by making a donation here at the Wind Ensemble | NYC Fundraiser web page anytime from November 3rd to December 11th 2016.

The overall trip cost is $2,000 per student. These kids and their families are finding ways to fund this special trip to New York City, including selling Chinook Books, bags of coffee, chocolates and more.

Your donation would provide additional support for these musicians

to create fantastic music on the same stage as some of

the world’s greatest performers.

They're one of only eight groups selected for this prestigious festival.Please consider making a tax-deductible donation online today, so that every Wind Ensemble musician has the opportunity to take part in this memorable experience.

Then, when asked how do you get to Carnegie Hall, the answer from the BHS Wind Ensemble will be “with some help from family and friends.”

And... practice, practice, practice, of course.

Watch the video above and hear what Wind Ensemble students

are saying about the upcoming trip to NYC and Carnegie Hall.

[Thanks to BHS student Max Beaulieu for creating the video.]

Help spread the word through social media.

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I'm very excited for the Ballard Wind Ensemble to play at Carnegie Hall. It’s the premiere performance venue in the United States. To perform at a place with such great history and tradition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Michael James
Ballard High School
Director of Bands

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Other experiences during the kids' five-day stay in NYC include:

* Performing at an outdoor concert in Central Park or Battery Park
* Working with distinguished festival faculty at a group workshop
* Seeing a Broadway play
* Enjoying a dinner cruise with the seven other festival bands from the U.S. as well as Wales and Australia.

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Most of my students have never been to New York City. This will be an enriching opportunity for them as we experience some of what makes it one of the world’s greatest cities. We’ll be hearing other music ensembles from around the world, and building camaraderie with the musicians throughout the festival.

Michael James

For details about the
11th Annual New York
International Music Festival
at Carnegie Hall, click HERE